Automatic vending-machine.



w. c. vow WACHHOLTZ.

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 1912.

1,174,782. Patented Mar. 7,1916.

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W. C. VON WACHHOLTZ.

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED'NOV. 30. 1912.

1,174,?82. Patented Mar. 7,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- WIT/VESSfS C INVENTOR all; ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, o. uv

W. C. VON WACH HOLTZ. AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE.

IIVVENTOR APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1912- Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

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WITNESSES ,47TORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ,CO- \VASHlNGTObL D. C.

- provements chines, of Wl11Cl1 the following 1s a specifi- AUTOMATIC VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. l Pate t d u 7 1916.

Application filed November 30, 1912. Serial No. 734,307.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

WVACHHOLT of Hasbrouck Heights, in the county of Bergen and State ofN w Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Imin Automatic Vending-Macation.

My invention consists in improvements relating to that class of machines known as Automatic vending machines and in which certain articles,'small boxes or the like, are automatically delivered one by one on depositing of a coin of certain denomination in the slot of the machine.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable machine which works entirely automatic, by the gravity of the coin and the article to be vended.

The invention consists of certain new fea-. tures 1n the constructlon of the coin selector,

the delivery mechanism and the combination.

of the various parts which will be described and claimed below.

References are to be hadto the accompanying drawings forming part of this,

specification wherein like figures indicate the same part throughout the several views.

Figure I is an isometric outs'deview of the machine. Fig. II is a sectional plan of the machine on the line AA of Fig. III.

F ig. III is a sectional rear elevation of the machine on the line B B of Figs. II and IV. Fig. IV is a sectional s de elevation of the machine on the line C'C of Fig. III. Fig. V is a vertical section through the trip mechanism for washers on the line D-I) of Fig. II showing a washer in tripped pos tion. Fig. VI is'the same section as Fig. V

but a coin tak ng the place ofa washer;

Fig. VII is an isometric detail of the coin guide and coin selector. Fig. VIII isa section through the funnel of the coin chute showing how a coin isbalanced n this funnel if'the pin 39 is omitted. Fig. IX is a Fig. I. The fr nt side of easing 1 has an opening 4; near the top, which isclosed from within the casing by the slot plate 5, with slot 6 for the insertion of the coin.

Below opening 4 in the center of the front side, is the main opening to the casing. .Itis ordinarily cl('sed by a hingeless door 2 which is held in place by the lugs 2e and locked by lock 3 at its top,'as shown in Figs. III and IV. IV hen door 2 is removed, access can be had to the interior of the casing for refilling the magazine and unlocking the cash drawer.

At the bottom of the front side I have arranged opening 8 which gives access to the delivery compartment 14, in which the vended article appears after a coin has been inserted in slot 6. The interior of the casing is dividedin twofcompartments: the delivery compartment ll, which is always open to the-public and the private compartment 10 which is always secluded from the public and contains the mechanism. Compartment 14 is formed by the walls 11 and 12 and roof 9, it has the opening 15 in the rear wall 11, for the removal of the cashdrawer 16, opening 14k for the vended articles in side wall 12- and opening 1% in roof 9 for the returned coins.

The private compartment 10 comprises the balance of the interior of the casing 1, it has twoextensions 13 and. 13 which reach tothe bottom of casing 1. and are separated bv the cross wall 11. Into space 13 I have placed the cash drawer 16 which is locked by the cupboard catch 17, the latter is fastened t wall ll-above o ening 15: the

bolt of this catch engages the catch plate 18 wh'ch is attached to the cash drawer 1G.v

One end of a cord 19 is tied to knob'QO of thecupboard catch and the other end'by means of screw eye casing 1.

To the rear side of coin plate 5, (see Figs. II, III. IV) I have att ched the coin guide 22 which consists of a U shaped plate with two flanges 22 and su rounds the coin slot 6 to prevent the meddling with the mechan sm bv nieces of wire. hair pins or the like.

The lower opening of this coin guide leads 21 to the roof of the tached the wedge shaped tongue 24 to side 23, at such a distance above the bottom of 23, that every coin which drops into the selector from coin guide 22, is deflected toward side 23 and rolls along, leaning against that side. .Openin" 25 in the side 23 'is made of such dimensions that a coin of smaller diameter than a correct coin, drops through. Side 23 is also provided with a. wedgeshaped projection or tongue 26, this tongue is placed in such position that a coin of correct size can pass underneath it, while a coin of larger size 7 is deflected by it toward side 23. The latter side has an opening 27 located opposite tongue 26 through which this deflected coin drops out of the coin selector; between the lower end of side 23 and the guide piece 29 on'that side, is an opening 28, and the bottom of coin-selector 23 gradually widens out atthis place. On the two guide pieces 29 slides shutter plate 30, which opens or closes aperture 29 between these guide pieces. To receive coins which drop through the openings 25, 27, and 29 I have placed 7 coin hopper 32 below the coin selector as shown in Figs. II, III, IV, V, and VI. This hopper is preferabl; made of sheet metal and of the form shown in the drawings, it terminates at its lower end into coin return spout .33 which guides the coins into the delivery compartment 14 through opening 14.

' Near the side 23 of the coin selector opposite opening 28 I have placed the funnel shaped inlet 34 of coin chute 35. A space slightly smaller than the diameter of a correct coin is left between coin selector 23 and funnel 3%; into this space protrudes the upper end of a vertical rod 36, the lower end of this red is fastened in suitable manner to coin hopper 32. A coin 7 which drops out of opening 28 takes the position shown in Fig. VI, it glides over the top of rod 36 into funnel 34. but a washer 37 is tripped by rcd 36 at its hole and glidesdo-wn on this red as shown in Fig. 'V. Coins which drop into funnel 34 occasionally take the this, I have'placed pin 39 into funnel 3-1.-

which prevents said position of coin 7 and insures a clear path for the same.

Coin chute 35 is preferably made of sheet metal and fastened to the side wall of the machine by suitable lugs 40. The straight part of the coin chute 35 is closed on four sides and slightly inclined to the vertical line. in such a manner, that coin 7 (see Fig. III) does not fall down, but rolls down on the inclined side of the chute, in order to insure a more uniform striking of the coin against the release le 'er T9. The lower part of the coin chute is formed into a curve 35 to i e the coin a turn of 90 and make it roll in horizontal direction on the lowest part of the chute, to the outletat35". The

curvedand horizontal parts of the chute are preferably closed on three sides, but open at the top. A coin which has rolled out of the coin chute at 35*, strikes release lever 49, operates this lever by its momentum, falls on the inclined coin tray 60 and rolls down on this tray into cash drawer 16.

U shaped gutters 41 form the magazine for the boxes 12 or similar articles to be vended; these gutters are preferably made of sheet metal and arranged in Zig zag form I as shown in Fig. III, but if space or arrangement requires it, they may be made in form of a continuous helix or in any other suitable manner. Theigutters are fastened by'means of lugs 43 to the standards d6 which rest on the roof 9 of the delivery compartment i l. The bottom end ofeach upper gutter at 41 is provided with an aperture in its bottom, to let the boxes pass through and is connected to the top end of the next lower gutter at 41:1 by means of a fiat strip 44. The bottom part of each lower gutter is bent upward and forms a curved guide l5 which reaches above the boxes 12 of the upper gutter, the upper ends of these guides are fastened to the strips 44. The upper and lower curves of these guides 45 are circular, but they are connected by a short vertical tangent, 4L5 which prevents the boxes from locking each other. Below the lowest or delivery end of the gutters at 38, I have placed the vertical box guide 47 which is formed by four plates. Plate 47 forms the extreme end of the lowermost gutter and is fastened to the two side walls of this gutter; the upper part of thisplate is curved and extends upward above the box 42 to form an entering guide for the boxes. Plate 47* forms the side of the guide opposite to 47, it extends lower down than that side and its lower part 47 is bent toward 4'? to form a baille plate 6h which the boxes drop. This plate prevents meddling with the box guide and box retainer by means of wire, which is sometimes inserted into these parts through open ng 8. the delivery compartment 1% and the delivery chute. Plate 47 is located toward the front side of the machine and nearer to it, than the wall of the lowest gutter on that side; this plate reaches down to the bottom of the cas ng and is fastened by hanging it at a right angle, to wall 12 by means of screws or in any other suitable manner. Plate 47 is located opposite to 47, its upper edge is attached to the wall of the lowest gutter on that side. it is provided with a slot 48 through which the box retainer 50 slides as shown in Figs. II, IV and IX. It is also provided with an'outward project on 4-8 on wh ch the box retainer rests. Box

retaire 50 is a part of the release lev r 49, which has tlie'form 'ofa bell crank with arms 49 and 49, this lever has three downward projections, 49 to receive the strike of the coin, 50 and 50 to limit the movement of the-box retainer .50. -Release lever 49 is pivoted on pin 51. and supported by wall 11. One end of a tension spring 52 is attached to lever 49 and its other end to a pin 53 of standard 46. Box retainer 50 protrudes into box guide 47 through aperture 48 and supports the lowest box 42 when spring 52 exerts its tension on lever 49. The release lever 49'is placed in such position to the coin chute 35, that a coin discharged from its lowest end 35", strikes the projection 49 by its momentum, and causes the withdrawal of box retainer 50 from box guide 47 and thereby permits the lowest box 42 to drop on baflie plate 47 and from this plate to roll down on the inclined delivery plate 54 into the delivery compartment 14 through opening 14. To return the coin when the magazine is empty I have provided the following mechanism: A flat arm 55 is fastened to a'shaft 56 as shown in Figs. II, III,'and IV. One end of this shaft turns in journals provided in the magazine standards 46, the other end in a bearing 57 which is fastened to the rear wall of the casing. At the proper place on shaft 56 a lever 58 is mounted. The free end of this lever is formed into a hook or ring, to which one end of a cord 51 is tied. This cord runs through a screw eye or other suitable means, to shutter plate 30. As long as the magazine istilled arm 55 rides on box 42 as shown in Fig. III, lever 58 is in raised position and by means of cord 51 the shutter plate 30 is lowered as shown in Figs. IV and VII. lVhen the magazine is so far emptied that'only two boxes 42 and 42 remain in the magazine, arm 55 and lever 58 drop to the positions ind cated by the dotted lines in Fig. III and shutter plate 30 is raised to'the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. VII. The flat strips 44 which connect the gutters 41 of the magazine are fastened to the outside of the s de walls of the upper gutters and to the inside of the side walls of the lower gutters. this is done to prevent the boxes from falling on to the side walls of the lower gutters.

The operat on of mv automatic vending mach ne is as follows: The gutters 41 of the magazine are filled, for example with boxes of cvlindrical shape, byplacing them in rolling position on the uppermost gutter; they roll down in these gutters and fill them; the lowest box 42 rests on box retainer 50, its upper rim has not yet left edge 38 of the lowest gutter. as shown in .Figs. IV and IX. The third box 42 keeps arm 55 in raised position and by means of lever 58 and cord 51 the shutter plate 30 closes the opening 29 of coin selector 23 as shown in Figs. III and VII. A coin 7 of correct size deposited through slot 6 is. gui'dedby coin guide 22 into coin selector 23, it is defiected toward side arty tongue 24 and continues to roll along that side in inclined position, it passes opening 25and beneath tongue 26; by the time it reaches opening 28, it has acquired sufiicient momentum to pass by this opening, but following its inclined position it swerves in outward direction and rolls on the widened part of the selector bottom until it strikes the shutter plate 30 where it rebounds, falls over on its side and drops out of opening 28. The coin then slides over the top end of rod 36 into the funnel 34, it is placed in correct posi-' tion by pin 39 and rolls down through coin chute 35, it assumes a horizontal direction by means of the curved chute 35 and coming out of the chute at 35 strikes projection 49 of release lever 49 with considerable impact. By the force of this impact the tension of spring 52 is overcome and the box retainer 50 is momentarily withdrawn from the vertical box guide 47. Thelowest box 42*, assisted'by the weight of the boxes above/it, falls into the delivery chute 54, rolls down on the inclined bottom of the latter, into delivery compartment 14, where it can be reached by the customer through opening 8. At the moment when the box retaineris withdrawn from box guide 47, the box 42 enters the widened part of the box guide between the plates 47 and 47 and is pushed by the returning release lever toward side 47, it permits thereby the release lever to return to its original position before the next following box 42 reaches the box retainer 50. If a coin 7 is inserted into slot 6 when the machine is'empty and shutter plate 30 is in raised position as previously described. then the coin will also pass along the side 23 of the coin selector, but as it is not stopped by shutter plate 30 it will pass out underthis plate through opening 29 and fall into hopper 32 as shown by 7 Fig. IV and coins larger than the desired coin, deflected by tongue 26 fall through o ening 27 into hopper 32 as shown by 7 b in Fig. IV, all these coins are returned by spout 33 into'delivery com artment 14. A coin which is lighter in we ght than the correct coin'is not able to strike release lever 49 with suflicient momentum and therefore IIaviiif; thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. In a magazine for vending machines,

" composed of separate's'ecticns of U shaped gutters, forming a single track, and placed one above the other, in alternately inclined position, means to prevent the locking of the vended articles at the gap between an upper and a lower gutter, consisting of a guard, curved in its upper and lower porticns and flat in its middle section, said guard being attached to the upper end of the lever gutter, and extending above the articles in the upper gutter, guide strips attached to the inside of the vertical legs of the lower gutter and passing the outside of the upper gutter to guide the inner edges of the vended article.

2. In an automatic vending machine a series of gutters, of U shaped cross section held one above the other, in alternately inclined position, by a single set of uprights near the middle of their incline, leaving open spaces between the vertical legs of a gutter and those of the next one above, adjustable means on said uprights to swivel said gutters into the desired inclination.

3. In an automatic vending machine for rolling objects, a magazine, a stationary vertical guide-chute attached to the lowest end of said magazine, said guide-chute, being wider transversely than the transverse Width of the magazine, to'permit a transverse movement of theobject within said chute, a bell crank, movable perpendicularly against the fiat side of the object, extending into said guide-chute, to intercept one of said objects while permitting a second one to pass the front of said lever.

4. In an automatic vending machine, the combination of a magazine consisting of alternately inclined gutters, of U shaped cross section, supports attached to said gutters near their middle guide strips connecting each upper gutter to the next lower one, a stationary guide-chute of greater transverse width than the gutters, attached to the lowest of said gutters, a horizontally movable lever, entering said chute to intercept an object falling therein, an inclined bafllc plate attached to the guide-chute, below said lever and-a delivery board, having a differently directed inclination than the bailie plate, below said guide-chute.

5. In an automatic vending machine, a magazine, a stationary vertical guide-chute, attached to said magazine, a horizontally movable bell crank, in its normal position vartlv clcsin the )assaee of said 'uide-' t: l i. 1:,

chute andsupporting the lowest object to be vendcd, said bell crank adapted to be withdrawn from said guide-chute and means to restore said bell crank-into its normal position.

6. Ina vending machine -lor rolling objects, a magazine, a guide-chute to receive the objects from the magazine, rigidly attached thereto, bell crank means attached to the guide-chute to support the lowest object Within the chute when in normal position, and to release it by a horizontal movement of said bell crank, and means to shift the object in axial direction within the guidechute, while in motion.

7. In an automatic vending machine for rolling objects, a magazine, a stationary guide-chute attached thereto, said chute being wider transversely in its lower, than in its upper part, sliding means entering said chute'at its wider part in horizontal direction, and axially to the objects contained therein, said sliding means being in such position, that they support the lowest object to be vended, partly in the narrow, and partly in the widened part of the guidechute.

' S. In a vending machine for rolling objects,a magazine, a stationary guide-chute attached thereto at its delivery end, a horizontally movable slide entering said guidechute, fromone of its sides, a transverse widening in: said guide-chute, opposite the end of said slide, to permit an object contained therein to move laterally under pressure of said slide.

WILLIAM C. VON IVACHHOLTZ. Witnesses A. E. Eammason, H. VETTER, Jr.

Copies of this patent may lbe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

